Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said on a podcast episode that aired Friday one of his biggest regrets in office was not speaking “much louder” against the Trump Administration’s calls for lockdowns in the early days of the pandemic, with the comments coming just days after former President Donald Trump appeared to label DeSantis “gutless.”
DeSantis said on the conservative podcast “Ruthless” he believes Trump Administration officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci “panicked” as Covid-19 quickly spread around the U.S. in March of 2020, leading to calls for lockdowns.
Tensions are reportedly growing between Trump and DeSantis, who was one of Trump’s most vocal and powerful supporters during his presidency, over DeSantis not ruling out a 2024 presidential run if Trump is also in the race.
Trump said in an interview that aired Tuesday that politicians who don’t disclose whether they’ve received a Covid vaccine booster shot are “gutless,” appearing to take a jab at DeSantis, who’s refused to say whether he’s received a booster.
If DeSantis was opposed to lockdowns in the early days of the pandemic, that view was not reflected in his actions. In March 2020, DeSantis ordered schools to shut down, closed down bars and prohibited indoor dining at restaurants, like many other governors did. But some of Florida’s restrictions went far beyond that of many other states and the guidance issued by the federal government, such as requiring travelers from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Louisiana to self-isolate for two weeks after entering the state. DeSantis even ordered police checkpoints to be set up on interstates to monitor travelers coming into Florida. Restrictions for New York area travelers were not lifted until August 2020.
Authored by Nicholas Reimann via Forbes.com
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